Sir Henri-Thomas Taschereau (October 6, 1841 – October 11, 1909) was a lawyer, politician and judge in

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

, Canada. The son of Jean-Thomas Taschereau, Taschereau received his basic education at the

Petit Séminaire de Québec Petite or petite may refer to: *Petit (crater), a small, bowl-shaped lunar crater on Mare Spumans * ''Petit'' (EP), a 1995 EP by Japanese singer-songwriter Ua * Petit (typography), another name for brevier-size type *Petit four * Petit Gâteau *P ...

from 1851 to 1859. He then entered

Université Laval Université Laval is a public research university in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The university was founded by royal charter issued by Queen Victoria in 1852, with roots in the founding of the Séminaire de Québec in 1663 by François de Montmo ...

where he received a law degree in 1862 and was called to the bar of

Lower Canada The Province of Lower Canada (french: province du Bas-Canada) was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence (1791–1841). It covered the southern portion of the current Province of Quebec an ...

in 1863. After passing the

Bar of Quebec The Bar of Quebec (french: Barreau du Québec) is the regulatory body for the practice of advocates in the Canadian province of Quebec and one of two legal regulatory bodies in the province. It was founded on May 30, 1849, as the Bar of Lower Ca ...

, he practised law in Quebec and soon built a large practice. He also pursued an interest in politics and began publishing a short-lived newspaper. Various forays into public life followed and in 1872 was elected to the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada (french: Chambre des communes du Canada) is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The House of Common ...

. By age 37 his reputation earned him an appointment to the

Quebec Superior Court The Superior Court of Quebec (french: Cour supérieure du Québec) is a superior trial court in the Province of Quebec, in Canada. It consists of 157 judges who are appointed by the federal government. Appeals from this court are taken to the Qu ...

and he served there until 1901 sitting as judge in many important trials. From 1901 to 1907, he headed up two royal commissions for the federal

government of Canada The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown ...

. In 1907, his legal stature was recognized with his appointment as chief justice of Quebec. In 1908,

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria an ...

knighted him. His death in 1909 left a legacy of writings on the law as part of the records in the courts and commissions where he served.

External links

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''1759: the conquest of Québec''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taschereau, Henri-Thomas 1841 births 1909 deaths Canadian Knights Bachelor Judges in Quebec Lawyers in Quebec Liberal Party of Canada MPs Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Quebec French Quebecers Henri-Thomas Université Laval alumni Burials at Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery